1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective covers for handheld electronic devices, and more particularly to remote control covers.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a variety of different remote control covers on the market today. There are many differences among these covers, depending on the goals and equipment of the inventor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,256, issued to Loris Meliconi on Jun. 6, 1989, discloses a shockproof protective sheath for remote controls having a hollow cavity for the remote control, and a body of shock-absorbent material around the periphery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,459, issued to Daniel Uljanic et al. on Mar. 3, 1992, discloses a transparent case with a number of deflectable pads corresponding to the buttons on an enclosed remote control unit.
A transparent remote control flexible envelope is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,713, issued to Richard Huffer on Mar. 19, 1996.
Among the problems with the remote control covers currently available is that they are manufactured to fit a particular size and shape of remote control unit. Within existing remote control covers there is little flexibility in the external dimensions or the keypad layout of the remote control unit that may be protected. If a remote control unit is significantly smaller than the protective cover, there may be little or no ability to adjust the protective cover to properly fit the remote control unit.
In addition, many of the prior art remote control covers are complex to manufacture. A complex protective cover is more costly to manufacture. Further, an unintentional design feature of some of the prior art remote control covers is that it is difficult to remove an enclosed remote control unit. The difficulty in removing an enclosed remote control unit makes it more difficult for the user to perform routine maintenance, like changing batteries.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a remote control cover solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The remote control cover of the present invention is a flat envelope of a flexible, water-resistant material formed from a single, elongated piece of water-resistant material. The flat shape is due to the method of construction. The material is folded across its width to form two lateral seams, an open end and a closed end. A closing flap is at the open end of the envelope. The closing flap is an extension of the single piece of material from the open end of the envelope, and is used to secure the remote control unit inside the envelope by a plurality of hook and loop fasteners attached to adjacent faces of the closing flap and the body. The closing flap is secured to the body of the remote control cover, and thus forms a cavity to contain a remote control unit within.
The remote control cover also has a keypad window and a signal window, to permit actuation of the remote controls unit""s buttons and to permit remote control signals to pass through the remote control cover and reach the equipment to be remotely controlled. The plurality of windows also act as a part of the protection of the enclosed remote control unit from liquids and other hazards. The remote control cover further comprises a pair of reinforcing crimps at the closed end of the body. The crimps are adjacent to the fold of the body and reinforce the two lateral seams.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to introduce a remote control cover to protect the enclosed remote control unit from liquids and other hazards where the remote control unit is used.
It is another object of the invention to provide a remote control cover that is available in different sizes to accommodate the wide size range of remote control units on the market.
Still another object of the invention to introduce a remote control cover that is very easy to produce.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.